The euphoria of the World Cup should once again attract young people to the halls

Lübeck. Enthusiasm for handball is growing. DHB’s 26-28 World Cup defeat towards Norway was watched by a mean of 6.992 million people on ARD. The broadcast from Katowice was the most profitable TV present of the day and the most watched recreation of the 2023 World Cup on German tv. The nationwide staff is at present offering a really snug momentum for the world’s largest handball affiliation.

The handball affiliation will lose 15 % of its members

Because DHBs have misplaced round 15 per cent of their membership over the previous decade and at present have round 720,000 lively members. About 40,000 of them come from Schleswig-Holstein, with greater than 235 golf equipment and about 1,900 groups.

“Basically, Schleswig-Holstein is a handball nation. With prime Bundesliga groups from Kiel and Flensburg and 2nd division VfL Lübeck-Schwartau, we’ve got three flagships to concentrate on,” says Olaf Schimpf, coach of the VfL U19 ladies in the Bundesliga and vice chairman of aggressive sports activities at the state affiliation. HVSH. “But nationwide momentum can solely be achieved by a constructive public picture at main occasions.”

The nationwide staff should increase the euphoria

And the staff of the nationwide coach Alfred Gislasson is doing very nicely at the second. “I’m joyful that the German nationwide staff certified for the World Cup. “It’s actually nice promoting for the sport,” says Schimpf.

Sascha Steltenkamp, ​​HVSH Vice Youth and Member Development, sees it the identical manner: “It’s nice to see the boys. This is an actual staff with actual guys – that is how handball should be.”

The affect of the first World Cup was felt

The official, who’s a handball coach and chairman of SC Kieler Förde, says it should now be the duty of associations and golf equipment to “transmit this staff spirit”. He felt the first affect of the World Cup. “In the previous couple of days, there have been few inquiries from people who need to come to the courtroom session. and most of them have by no means had something to do with handball earlier than.”

In any case, Steltenkamp noticed a “slight upward development amongst very young youngsters,” but additionally notes that there was a big decline in older age teams. There could be very little to make it a high-level sport.

“The greatest sport is deprivation”

“Juri Knorr isn’t the place he’s now as a result of he’s exceptionally gifted, however he works very laborious. High-level sport is an obstacle – and there aren’t any shortcuts to success,” says Schimpf. “But the higher the fundamental circumstances that golf equipment provide to youngsters, the extra you possibly can encourage handball in all arts. Loads has occurred, however all of us have to work collectively.”

Day of motion as a cornerstone of elementary faculty

One of the most necessary initiatives is the annual elementary faculty day, the place the golf equipment need to attract youngsters to handball throughout bodily schooling lessons. “Last yr we had greater than 20,000 contributors,” says Finn Hummel, HVSH member growth supervisor. “But we’re all the time growing new initiatives and wish to get a robust foothold, particularly in main faculties. Not solely the nationwide affiliation, but additionally districts and golf equipment are required.

Because though Schleswig-Holstein is a handball state, the quantity of members has additionally decreased. “We are barely under the nationwide development, however solely barely. It is necessary to present that we’re lively,” says Hummel. The tempo at the World Cup should additionally assist reverse the development.